Splash catcher



Feb. 10, 1931. (5, BLLE'RT 1,792,138

- .SPLASH C ATCHER Filed May l15, 1929 V30 cleaning, both when themudlcatch'er isvvorn ,Patented Feb. 10, 19371 1 a `'iippucation meri/ray1.3,"19'29f lSamaria). ssaes. 9

'- i' he invention here described? relates jto a A mudcatcher capable ofbeing' attached to the footwear and. intended to `prevent the lower*..,-garments from getting soiled. 'Previous ap 'Y li`- pliancesintended to serve the: sameifpurpose had tobe fastened'to thebootsor`shoesfby av complicatechmethod using clasps, belts,

f cords, etc. @Their application -was unhandy; -and they were difficultto clean. Apart from y this, they spoilt the appearance of the boots v'j orshoes, and for all these reasons they'failedV `tObe generallyadopted. Y

The essential feature-of the present inven- *tion is that all fasteningmechanisms are 15V wanting, and. that the'mud-catcher consists fofaplate made ofrlubber or someother. elas- Vtic material, fittedfwith anopening through Y which the heel is vpassed when themud- [ljL-catclierfis to be'k worngl By means'of insets *ZQ- in the'rubberVplate4 or by means of giving a specialv shape the mud-catcherfis causedtojassume an umbrella-like shape vwhen-worn. rhis shape (i. e., thatofjanf'inverted umbrella)v is retained, and. theV mud-catcher f closelyadheres to the heel of the boot or shoe. If, moreover, a suitablecolori's-chosen, its presence is scarcely noticeable, even when worn, so thatthere is no need to take'it 0E. Moreover, this arrangement ensures easyor not.

example of-app'lying the invention. n Fig. l is a plan View of the mudcatcher.

Fig. 2 is a similar View with the upper plate removed. i Y

Fig. Sais a section of the mud catcher. The mud-catcher consists, asshown in Figs. land 2, of two plates (al) and (a2), each n 40 lof whichhas an opening-(b1) and (b2) respectivelynear itsedge. A wire V'inset(0), is inserted between the two plates, Vand srLAsi 'oA'iicHERfffv heaccompanying' drawing represents an' GUsTAv BLLER'LOF HAMBURG,criminaliY` causevthe opening in the plate',owingftoVV l; smallerdiameter and. to the'tensioneffected'A by the cross sectionofl..thefheelfwliich is widervthan it), isfwidened out a certain di'sf 1tance-f `-l`hefplateitself is then subjected: to 55l such an' amount pftension 'that its,V 'center Ypresses against'theheehwhilst its'edgetilts downward. By means of theuwirev inset' (c) j it is 'possibletochange the downwardtilt into I an upward tilt, evenwhen the appliance isworn. Thisshape -isvftheii'retain-ed and the appliance closely adherestothefheel offtliev shoe. In this WayV itis possible toreifectithe j: v,easy cleaningjofthewhole mechanism, andf 1 if it is .found desirable toleave it attachedto- 05.',

the heel for some reasonorfotherginstead of fremovingit-.f-totilt itupward Vin-such a manf berl plate having asimilar hole thereinsecured 75u on Vthe firstplate, and a wirefinset interposed between the `plates toretain their: outwardlyv Y extendingsplash-protecting portionsin'a set'j .position and to give these portionsth re n quired rigidity. d Y, i

the latter are glued together or vulcanized as l i shown in Fig. 2. VItis advisable' to punch 45 the'openngs (b1) 'and v(b2) after the two i Yplates have been stuclrtogether.V If'such ar combined plate, by meansvof the oval openi.

ings (b1)V and (792) is passed over the' heel Avof the-shoe, the outwardpart ofthe plateV f n .Y Y Y '0 iassnmes the shape of an'openumbrella'grbe-` Y I f Y In testimony whereof I aixpmy signature.

GUSTJBLQEBT. t. Y

